Carrier for pneumatic-dispatch tube systems



Get. 22, 1929. J. T. NEEDHAM CARRIER FOR PNEUMATIC DISPATCH TUBE SYSTEMSFiled Nav. 8, 1928 Patented Oct. 22, 1929 UNITED STATES JOHN T. NEEDHAM,OF NORTH PLAINFIELD, NEW JERSEY CARR-IER FOB. PNEUMATIC-DISPATCH TUBESYSTEMS Application filed November 8, 1928. Serial No. 318,031.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a carrierwith a thoroughly satisfactory ejector device to facilitate thev removalof its contents.

Other objects will appear hereinafter.

1n the drawings, Fig. 1 is a longitudinal sectional view of the carrier,taken on the line 1 1 of Fig. 3, the carrier being closed;

Fig. 2 a transverse section taken on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 a transverse section taken on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1; Y

Fig. 4 an enlarged fragmentary section taken on the line 4 4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 a detailperspective View of the guide forming part of the guideof the ejector device; and A Y l Fig. 6 a view similar to Fig.1, showingthe carrier opened and the ejector plunger drawn outwardly.

The carrier structure includes a body or barrel 1 which consists of atube of hard liber or other suitable material. The tube is closedV atone end by an external cup 2, the annular flange of which is riveted tothe carried body as at 3. A felt buifer head 4 is riveted to the outerface of the cup 2.` The opposite end of the barrel is open and isreinforced by an external sleeve 1 riveted to it.

'lo the inner side of the carrier and extending longitudinally thereofis rigidly secured a tube or channel 5. This tube is preferably securedin pla-ce by tongues 6 formed thereon and passed through.l the body ofthe carrier. A rod 7, preferably formed of a strand of stiff wire,extends through the channel and slidably through a guide sleeve 8 fixedin the channel near the outer end thereof. Inwardly of sleeve 8 a collar9 is rigidly secured to the rod 7 and between said collar and sleeve isinterposed a spring 10 which tends to force tlielocking rod toward theclosed end of the carrier. Rigidly secured to the rod near its outerend, beyond the sleeve 8,- is a guide sleeve 11 which is slidable withinthe upper end of channel or tube 5. At its outer end the rod is formedinto an arch 12 and with a coil 13 at the base of the arch, said coilbeing adapted to be disposed within the carrier and form a skeletonclosure or clip for the purpose of retaining the contents in thecarrier. The rod 7 is rotatable in the sleeve 8 and may be drawnoutwardly against the tension of the spring 10 by grasping and pullingthe archl 12. When the holding clip coil has been completely withdrawnfrom the carrier, the rodl may be rotated to carry the retaining coilbeyond the edge of the carrier as indicated in Fig. 6. The rod may bethen released to permit the spring 10 to draw the coil into engagementwith the edge of the carrier and thereby hold the retaining means in.their open position. The sleeve 1l slidably fits in the upper end ofthe guide channel 5 and is adapted to bottom against the fixed sleeve 8to limit the inward movement of the rod and properly position the clipin its closed position. In the latter position of the clip the arch issubstantially flush with the open end. of the barrel 1. f

Mounted upon the inner wall of the barrel, alongside the channel 5, is aguide tube or channel 14 similar to channel 5 and of almost equallength. Its inner end is adjacent vthe end cup 2 of the barrelv and itsouter endterminates slightly inwardly of the outer end of. channel 5. Itis held in place by integrally formed bendable tongues l5 which arepassed` outwardly through the barrel. A sleeve 16 is mounted in theupper end of the channel 14 and serves as a guide to slidably support aslender plunger rod 17 which extends through the channel for most of thelength of the latter. This ro-d is preferably formed of stiff wire. Theguide channel 15 is formed with an elongated'slot 18 which extendsbetween the sleeve 16 and theinner end of the channel. The inner end ofthe rod is bent inwardly at right angles as at 19, and extends throughthe slot 18 and across the inside of A flat sheet metal disk 2O is sethebarrel. cured to the extension 19 and forms the plunger head. Itsdiameter is almost equal to the internal diameter of the barrel and itsperipheral edge is notched to clear the rivets 3 and the channels 5 and14. The outer end of the plunger rod 17 extends bey-ond the fixed sleeveand is bent to form an arcuate handle 21. The latter is disposed closeto the inner wallof the barrel and conforms substantially to the innercurvature thereof. Rigidly secured to the rod 17 near the bend 19 is asleeve or collar 22, and a light compression spring 23 encircles the rodand is interposed between said sleeve and the fixed guide sleeve 16.Spring 23 tends to press the plunger inwardly andl hold the plunger head20 at its innermost position adjacent the cup 2. The inward movement ofthe plunger is limited by contact of the bend 19 with the lower end ofthe slot 18.

When the plunger is in its innermost or normal retracted position thecarrier may be filled and the spring-pressed clip 13 snapped to closedposition to retain the contents. The closure plunger and the ejectorplunger are so relatively proportioned and mounted that when the formeris in its closed position the arcuate handle 21 of the ejector directlyunderlies the coil of the clip 13 and the latter conforms to thecurvature of the handle and covers it. The clip thus protects theejector handle and prevents operation of the ejector and possiblecrushing of the contents when the carrier is closed. When the contentsare to be removed the arch 12 of the clip is grasped and the clip isdrawn outwardly against the resistance of spring 10, swung to anon-obstructing position and left to rest upon the end edge of thecarrier. rlhis e5:- poses and frees the ejector handle which is graspedand pulled outwardly through the open end of the carrier against theresistance of spring 23 to draw the plunger head 2O outwardly. Thelatter serves as a pusher member to shove the contents partly throughthe open end of the carrier so that they may be readily grasped andremoved. The slot 18 in the guide channel 15 permits the plunger head tomove to a position substantially mid way the length of the carrier. Whenthe handle 21 is released the spring 23 snaps the ejector plunger backto normal retracted position. rlhe plunger head substantially lits theinterior of the carrier so that it prevents the plunger rod from rockingand holds the handle 21 against lateral displacement. Con, sequently thehandle will not catch upon thev edge of the carrier when it is releasedfor the retraction of the ejector, and when the ejector is in normalretracted position the handle will be held snugly against the inner wallof the carrier so that it will not obstruct the charg'-,`

ing of the carrier. The entire ejector occupies a protected positionwithin the carrier and is so designed that it takes up a minimum amountof space therein. It is thoroughly efficient and reliable and greatlyspeeds up the handling of the carriers in a pneumatic dispatch tubesystem.

What I claim is:

1. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body closed at one end and open at the opposite end to receiveand discharge the tube contents; manually operable means carried by thetubular body to eject the contents; and means carried by the body toautomatically retract said ejector means to normal position when it isreleased. n

2. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body closed at one end and open at the opposite end to receiveand discharge the carrier contents; means carried by the tubular body toeject the contents; and closure means carried by the body, shiftablymounted to open and close the latter and adapted to preventV operationof the ejector means when in closed position and thereby preventcrushing of the contents.

3. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body closedA at one end and open at the opposite end to receiveand discharge the carrier contents; means normally carried entirelywithin the tubular body to eject the contents; and closure meansshiftably carried by the body to open and close the latter, and adaptedto prevent operation of said ejector means when closed and therebyprevent crushing of the contents.

4t. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body closed at one end and open at the opposite end to receiveand discharge the carrier contents; manually 4operable means normallydisposed entirely within the tubular body to eject the contents; meansAto automatically restore said ejector means to normal position withinthe body after an operation thereof; and closure means shiftably carriedby the tubular body to open and close the latter, and adapted to preventoperation of said ejector means when closedjand thereby prevent crushingof the contents.

5. In a carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, means carriedby the carrier to eject the contents thereof, said ejector means beingnormally disposed entirely within the carrier; and closure meansshiftably carried by the carrier to open and close it and adapted whenclosed to prevent the operation of the ejector means and thereby preventcrushing of the contents.

6. In a carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, manuallyoperable means carried by the carrier tofeject the contents thereof;means to automatically restoresaid ejector means to normal positionafter an operation thereof; and closure means shiftably carried by thecarrier to open and close the latter and adapted to prevent operation ofthe ejector means when closed.

7. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tubek dle normally disposed ashort distance within the open end of the tubular body along the innerwall thereof and conforming to the curvature of the wall, said handlebeing adapted to be pulled outwardly through the open end of the carrierto operate the ejector; and means holding the handle against lateraldisplacement and preventing its catching upon the open end of thecarrier on its return movement.

8. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body or barrel closed at one end and open at the opposite end toreceive and discharge the barrel contents; an ejector plunger normallydisposed entirely within said barrel and coniprising a pusher' membernormally at the closed end of the carrier, and a slender operating rodattached to the pusher member,

,. extendinglongitudinally along the inner wall and provided with aslender handle normally adjacent the open end of the barrel and disposedagainst the inner wall thereof; and guide means mounted upon the innerwall of the barrel and supporting the plunger rod for reciprocation,whereby the pusher member may be moved outwardly by the handle and rodto eject the contents of the barrel, the pusher member holding the rodagainst rocking movement by contact with the inner wall of the barreland preventinglateral displacement of the handle.

9. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body or barrel closed at one end and open at the opposite vendto receive and discharge the barrel contents; an ejector plungernormally disposed entirely within said barrel and comprising a pushermember normally at the closed end of the carrier, and aslenderroperating rod attached to the pusher member, extendinglongitudinally along the inner wall and provided with a slender handlenormally adjacent the open end of the barrel and disposed against theinner wall thereof; guide means mounted upon the inner wall of thebarrel and supporting the plunger rod for reciprocation; whereby thepusher member may be moved outwardly by the handle and rod to eject thecontents of the barrel, the pusher member holding the rod againstrocking movement by contact with the inner wall of the barrel andpreventing lateral displacenient of the handle; and a spring within thebarrel to automatically retract the plunger.

l0. A carrier for a pneumatic dispatch tube apparatus, comprising atubular body or barrel closed at one end and open at the opposite end toreceive and discharge the barrel contents; an ejector plunger normallydisposed entirely within the said barrel and comprise ing a pushermember normally at the closed end of the carrier, and a slenderoperating rod attached to the pusher member, extending longitudinallyalong the inner wall and provided with a slender handle normallyadjacent the open end of the barrel and disposed against the inner wallthereof; guide means mounted upon the inner wall of the barrel andsupporting the plunger rod for reciprocation, whereby the pusher membermay be moved outwardly by the handle and rod to eject the contents ofthe barrel, the pusher member holding the rod against rocking movementby Contact with the inner wall of the barrel and preventing lateraldisplacement of the handle; a spring wit-hin the barrel to automaticallyretract the plunger; and a skeleton closure member formed of looped wireshiftably carried by the barrel to open and close the latter and adaptedwhen closed to overlie the arcuate plunger handle and prevent opera tionof the plunger.

In testimony whereof I hereunto affix my signature.

JOHN T. NEEDHAM.

